Minimizing power consumption is an important factor in the design of wireless communication devices and/or networks in order, for example, to provide longer battery life.
A Power Management (PM) scheme may be implemented by a wireless communication network to allow one or more wireless communication devices (“stations”) to conserve power, e.g., by switching from an active mode of operation to a power-save mode of operation, e.g., an “idle” or “sleep” mode of operation.
In some wireless communication networks, communication may be performed during beacon intervals. A beacon interval may include one or more Service Periods (SPs) allocated to one or more stations. Each SP is allocated to a single station, such that only the station to which the SP is allocated is allowed to communicate during the SP. The beacon interval also includes one or more Contention-Based-Period (CBP), during which the stations may be allowed to communicate using a suitable contention-based mechanism. The CBP may include a centric CBP managed by a controller or coordinator, or a distributed CBP.
A station may send a notification to inform other elements of the network of one or more beacon intervals, during which the station will be in the power-save mode. The station may be assumed to be either active during a beacon interval, including all CBPs of the beacon interval, e.g., if the station has not indicated that it will be in the power-save mode during the beacon interval; or to be in the power-save mode for the entirety of the beacon interval, e.g., if the station has indicated that it will be in the power-save mode during the beacon interval.